EMM15: "Part 1: To Be Read Before Purchase" by Stephen King
Stephen King's longest book is The Stand: The Complete & Uncut Edition.
It's 1141 pages long.
But interestingly enough, the preface begins with a 337-word "anti-sales letter."
In it, King speaks directly to you -- the reader -- and tells you exactly what the book is...
And what it is NOT.
He doesn't try to sell you. In fact, toward the end, after giving his description of the book, King says:
"If this is not what you want, don't buy this book."
When it comes to your email marketing, one of the most important things you should do is...
Choose your customers.
And here's what I mean by that:
The copy you write dictates who will read it...
And whether or not they will buy your product.
You don't want dissatisfied customers or angry email subscribers. So instead of trying to sell to EVERYONE, do this instead:
Call out the people who you want to serve...
Sell to them...
And tell the people you do NOT want to serve to NOT buy whatever it is you're selling.
It's counterintuitive. And it may even lead to a few less sales. But you're better off having a smaller group of raving fans who buy all your stuff and love it...
Than a massive group of people who buy your stuff...
Then ask for refunds because it's not a good fit for them.
Admittedly, this strategy isn't a good fit for every single niche out there...
But if you're a personal brand with your own email list and products...
It's a great way to save yourself countless time and headaches.
King's 337-word "anti-sales letter" is a great example of how to clarify what your product is...
And sell it ONLY to the people who would really enjoy it.
Let's take a look.
The Piece
PART 1: TO BE READ BEFORE PURCHASE
There are a couple of things you need to know about this version of The Stand right away, even before you leave the bookstore. For that reason I hope I've caught you early—hopefully standing there by the K section of new fiction, with your other purchases tucked under your arm and the book open in front of you. In other words, I hope I've caught you while your wallet is still safely in your pocket. Ready? Okay; thanks. I promise to be brief.
First, this is not a new novel. If you hold misapprehensions on that score, let them be dispelled right here and right now, while you are still a safe distance from the cash register which will take money out of your pocket and put it in mine. The Stand was originally published over ten years ago.
Second, this is not a brand-new, entirely different version of The Stand. You will not discover old characters behaving in new ways, nor will the course of the tale branch off at some point from the old narrative, taking you, Constant Reader, in an entirely different direction.
This version of The Stand is an expansion of the original novel. As I've said, you won't find old characters behaving in strange news ways, but you will discover that almost all of the characters were, in the book's original form, doing more things, and if I didn't think some of those things were interesting—perhaps even enlightening—I would never have agreed to this project.
If this is not what you want, don't buy this book. If you have bought it already, I hope you saved your sales receipt. The bookshop where you made your purchase will want it before granting you credit or a cash refund.
If this expansion is something you want, I invite you to come along with me just a little farther. I have lots to tell you, and I think we can talk better around the corner.
In the dark.
Lessons We Can Learn From This Piece
1. Introduce Urgency Immediately.
Check out the very first sentence of this piece:
"There are a couple of things you need to know about this version of The Stand right away, even before you leave the bookstore."
Now imagine you're standing in the bookstore, considering buying this book. Once you read that first sentence, you're hooked.
King meets you exactly where you're at (standing in the bookstore, thinking about buying the book) and tells you why you need to read what he's written right now.
When it comes to your own marketing — this is a powerful way to get someone to pay attention to an email.
Meet them where they're at…
And tell them why they need to read it.
(e.g. "If you're thinking about buying XYZ course, there are a few things I need to tell you.")
Be careful not to overuse this strategy. If you do, it loses its power. But used sparingly, it's a silver bullet.
2. Let The Reader Know What To Expect (Sometimes).
If you do something unexpected, sometimes it's nice to let the reader know what's going on.
Check out the part where King says:
"In other words, I hope I've caught you while your wallet is still safely in your pocket. Ready? Okay; thanks. I promise to be brief."
It's uncommon for the first part of a book to include a note like this. And when you consider that it's written to a reader who is…
"Standing there by the K section of new fiction, with your other purchases tucked under your arm and the book open in front of you…"
Brevity is important.
So King lets you know what to expect. It's considerate.
And while you don't always want to telegraph your intentions with a piece, it can be a good thing to do if you want to build rapport with a reader.
For example:
I wouldn't start every sales email I write with "Hey Reader, I'm gonna try to sell you something."
But I do occasionally do it.
I'm not sure whether it increases sales in the short-term. But my bet is that it does increase sales and readership in the long-term by building an honest bond with readers.
3. Call A Spade A Spade.
King doesn't try to convince you that this book will change your life or take your dog for a walk or repair your relationship with your mother.
It's an expanded version of a book that he published ten years before.
Sometimes the best way to sell something is just to tell people what it is and what it isn't.
Simple as that.
4. Tell Certain People NOT To Buy.
I'm not the first person to draw this comparison, but salesmanship is a bit like dating. If you come off as too desperate…
If you try too hard…
No one is going to be interested.
So instead, be honest about who you are and what you have going on.
Invite people to join you if they're interested. And if they're not — let them move on.
Here's where King does that in the piece:
"If this is not what you want, don't buy this book. If you have bought it already, I hope you saved your sales receipt. The bookshop where you made your purchase will want it before granting you credit or a cash refund."
This is called "selling from a place of power." And although it's counterintuitive, it's incredibly powerful.
It's a subtle demonstration of social proof, because it subconsciously communicates:
"There are enough people interested in this that I don't need your money. So if it doesn't sound right for you — do us both a favor and keep your cash."
Again, this is not a tactic you should use ALL the time. But if you use it sparingly, it can be a great way to create desire for your product.
5. Use An If/Then Close.
Check out the way King ends this piece:
"If this expansion is something you want, I invite you to come along with me just a little farther. I have lots to tell you, and I think we can talk better around the corner.
In the dark."
Pay attention to the structure:
IF this is something you want…
(THEN) I invite you to come along.
This is one of my favorite ways to end an email. It allows readers to self-select and gives them some agency in the sales process.
Plus, it gives you a super easy way to attach your product to their desire.
For example:
"If you want to make more sales with email, then click here to schedule a call with me."
Or…
"If you want to write emails people love to read, then click here to buy my course."
That format is basically:
"If you want (insert desire here), then (take the action you want them to take)."
How To Apply These Lessons To Your Email Marketing ASAP
Here's a quick summary of the lessons from this piece:
Introduce Urgency Immediately.
Let The Reader Know What To Expect (Sometimes).
Call A Spade A Spade.
Tell Certain People NOT To Buy.
Use An If/Then Close.
And here’s how you can apply it to your email marketing:
Write your own "anti-sales letter" email.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this article — this strategy isn't right for every niche. So you have to decide if it makes sense for your business.
But if you're a personal brand who wants to develop an email list of raving fans…
And create a long-lasting bond with them…
This could be a good strategy to help you do that.
In your "anti-sales letter" email, you should:
Introduce Urgency Immediately.
Let The Reader Know What To Expect.
Call A Spade A Spade.
Tell Certain People NOT To Buy.
Use An If/Then Close.
Here's What You Should Do Next
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